UNDERSTANDING VARIATIONS OF LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES' RESPONSES TO THE 2019 CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

This research reveals why Latin American states failed to control the rapid spread of the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) throughout the region. To answer this question, the author studies the policies, government responses, and state capacity to implement those policies, putting emphasis on understanding the role of leadership, welfare state capacity, and inequality in the shaping of pandemic outcomes for Chile and Uruguay. These two countries were chosen as part of the study because of their similarities in terms of economic throughput, health, and social welfare capacity, and for having non-populist leaders in power during the pandemic. The results of the analysis revealed that states with strong, egalitarian welfare systems have a higher success rate at controlling the initial onsets of pandemics. On the other hand, states with strong welfare systems and unequal access to the welfare system are more vulnerable to the effects of pandemics. States with weak welfare systems are not capable of controlling a pandemic, regardless of how equal access to the welfare systems is. As a result, the ineffectiveness of Latin American governments to control the spread of COVID-19 is attributed to the low economic capacity to tend to the financial and health needs of the population in a region where high informal employment is the norm.Major, United States Air ForceApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited

Abundant Z-cyanomethanimine in the interstellar medium: paving the way to the synthesis of adenine

We report the first detection in the interstellar medium of the Z-isomer of cyanomethanimine (HNCHCN), an HCN dimer proposed as precursor of adenine. We identified six transitions of Z-cyanomethanimine, along with five transitions of E-cyanomethanimine, using IRAM 30m observations towards the Galactic Center quiescent molecular cloud G+0.693. The Z-isomer has a column density of (2.0$\pm$0.6)$\times$10$^{14}$ cm$^{-2}$ and an abundance of 1.5$\times$10$^{-9}$. The relative abundance ratio between the isomers is [Z/E]$\sim$6. This value cannot be explained by the two chemical formation routes previously proposed (gas-phase and grain surface), which predicts abundances ratios between 0.9 and 1.5. The observed [Z/E] ratio is in good agreement with thermodynamic equilibrium at the gas kinetic temperature (130$-$210 K). Since isomerization is not possible in the ISM, the two species may be formed at high temperature. New chemical models, including surface chemistry on dust grains and gas-phase reactions, should be explored to explain our findings. Whatever the formation mechanism, the high abundance of Z-HNCHCN shows that precursors of adenine are efficiently formed in the ISM.Comment: Accepted in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Letter

Complex organic molecules in the Galactic Centre: the N-bearing family

We present an unbiased spectral line survey toward the Galactic Centre (GC) quiescent giant molecular cloud (QGMC), G+0.693 using the GBT and IRAM 30$\,$ telescopes. Our study highlights an extremely rich organic inventory of abundant amounts of nitrogen (N)-bearing species in a source without signatures of star formation. We report the detection of 17 N-bearing species in this source, of which 8 are complex organic molecules (COMs). A comparison of the derived abundances relative to H$_2$ is made across various galactic and extragalactic environments. We conclude that the unique chemistry in this source is likely to be dominated by low-velocity shocks with X-rays/cosmic rays also playing an important role in the chemistry. Like previous findings obtained for O-bearing molecules, our results for N-bearing species suggest a more efficient hydrogenation of these species on dust grains in G+0.693 than in hot cores in the Galactic disk, as a consequence of the low dust temperatures coupled with energetic processing by X-ray/cosmic ray radiation in the GC.Comment: 24 pages, 23 figures, 7 tables, accepted for publication in MNRA

La construcción de políticas públicas para promover las microfinanzas como estrategia para la erradicación de la pobreza/The construction of public policies to promote microfinance as a strategy for the eradication of poverty

Varios factores determinan el crecimiento y desarrollo de aspectos sociales y económicos de la sociedad. La pobreza es uno de los principales obstáculos de alcanzar el grado máximo de este crecimiento. Se han implementado diversas estrategias para erradicar la pobreza y las instituciones microfinancieras se dicen que juegan un papel significativo en la reducción de la pobreza. Sin embargo, no es la única solución a este problema. Este trabajo pretende evaluar el impacto, estrategias y retos del sector de microfinanzas. Este artículo también evaluará el impacto de las regulaciones del gobierno sobre el crecimiento del sector micro financiero. Estos elementos se discuten en las secciones de metodología y discusión largamente. Los artículos evaluados en este trabajo llevaron a la conclusión de que el micro financiamiento instituciones juega un gran papel en la reducción de la pobreza, pero también es una necesidad para la sociedad a depender de otras estrategias para hacer frente a este problema. Además, también se concluye que diversos factores influyen en el éxito de las instituciones microfinancieras como las regulaciones gubernamentales y las sociedades en los que operan. Several factors determine the growth and development of social and economic aspects of society. Poverty is one of the main obstacles to achieving the maximum degree of this growth. Various strategies have been implemented to eradicate poverty and microfinance institutions are said to play a significant role in reducing poverty. However, it is not the only solution to this problem. This paper aims to evaluate the impact, strategies and challenges of the microfinance sector. This article will also assess the impact of government regulations on the growth of the microfinance sector. These elements are discussed in the methodology and discussion sections at length. The articles evaluated in this paper led to the conclusion that microfinance institutions play a great role in reducing poverty, but it is also a need for society to depend on other strategies to deal with this problem. In addition, it is also concluded that various factors influence the success of microfinance institutions such as government regulations and the societies in which they operate. Palabras clave: políticas publicas, microfinanzas, estrategia, erradicación, pobreza. Keywords: public policies, microfinance, strategy, eradication, poverty

Leishmania isoenzyme polymorphisms in Ecuador: Relationships with geographic distribution and clinical presentation

Background: Determinants of the clinical presentation of the leishmaniases are poorly understood but Leishmania species and strain differences are important. To examine the relationship between clinical presentation, species and isoenzyme polymorphisms, 56 Leishmania isolates from distinct presentations of American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL) from Ecuador were analyzed. Methods: Isolates were characterized by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis for polymorphisms of 11 isoenzymes. Patients were infected in four different ecologic regions: highland and lowland jungle of the Pacific coast, Amazonian lowlands and Andean highlands. Results: Six Leishmania species constituting 21 zymodemes were identified: L. (Viannia) panamensis (21 isolates, 7 zymodemes), L. (V.) guyanensis (7 isolates, 4 zymodemes), L. (V.) braziliensis (5 isolates, 3 zymodemes), L. (Leishmania) mexicana (11 isolates, 4 zymodemes), L. (L.) amazonensis (10 isolates, 2 zymodemes) and L. (L.) major (2 isolates, 1 zymodeme). L. panamensis was the species most frequently identified in the Pacific region and was associated with several clinical variants of cutaneous disease (CL); eight cases of leishmaniasis recidiva cutis (LRC) found in the Pacific highlands were associated with 3 zymodemes of this species. Mucocutaneous leishmaniasis found only in the Amazonian focus was associated with 3 zymodemes of L. braziliensis. The papular variant of CL, Uta, found in the Andean highlands was related predominantly with a single zymodeme of L. mexicana. Conclusion: Our data show a high degree of phenotypic variation within species, and some evidence for associations between specific variants of ATL (i.e. Uta and LRC) and specific Leishmania zymodemes. This study further defines the geographic distribution of Leishmania species and clinical variants of ATL in Ecuador

A Fungal Effector With Host Nuclear Localization and DNA-Binding Properties Is Required for Maize Anthracnose Development

Plant pathogens have the capacity to manipulate the host immune system through the secretion of effectors. We identified 27 putative effector proteins encoded in the genome of the maize anthracnose pathogen Colletotrichum graminicola that are likely to target the host’s nucleus, as they simultaneously contain sequence signatures for secretion and nuclear localization. We functionally characterized one protein, identified as CgEP1. This protein is synthesized during the early stages of disease development and is necessary for anthracnose development in maize leaves, stems, and roots. Genetic, molecular, and biochemical studies confirmed that this effector targets the host’s nucleus and defines a novel class of double-stranded DNA-binding protein. We show that CgEP1 arose from a gene duplication in an ancestor of a lineage of monocot-infecting Colletotrichum spp. and has undergone an intense evolution process, with evidence for episodes of positive selection. We detected CgEP1 homologs in several species of a grass-infecting lineage of Colletotrichum spp., suggesting that its function may be conserved across a large number of anthracnose pathogens. Our results demonstrate that effectors targeted to the host nucleus may be key elements for disease development and aid in the understanding of the genetic basis of anthracnose development in maize plants.Fil: Vargas, Walter Alberto. Universidad de Salamanca; España. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Sanz Martín, José M.. Universidad de Salamanca; EspañaFil: Rech, Gabriel E.. Universidad de Salamanca; EspañaFil: Armijos Jaramillo, Vinicio D.. Universidad de Salamanca; EspañaFil: Rivera Rodriguez, Lina Patricia. Universidad de Salamanca; EspañaFil: Echeverria, María de Las Mercedes. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Díaz Mínguez, José M.. Universidad de Salamanca; EspañaFil: Thon, Michael R.. Universidad de Salamanca; EspañaFil: Sukno, Serenella A.. Universidad de Salamanca; Españ

A new minute Pristimantis (Amphibia: Anura: Strabomantidae) from the Andes of southern Ecuador

We describe a new rainfrog species (Pristimantis), from the wetland complex Oña, Nabón, Saraguro and Yacuambi, in the Andes of southern Ecuador, at altitudes ranging between 3000–3400 m a.s.l. Pristimantis tiktik sp. nov. is a small frog, displaying sexual dimorphism (the males with dorsum of various shades of gray, brown, orange or green and a whitish or pinkish yellow venter; females with brownish gray or gray dorsum and a reticulated white and black venter), with SVL ranging between 19.7–20.4 mm in females (n = 3) and 16.1–18.4 mm in males (n = 6). The skin on dorsum is tuberculated, that on venter is coarsely areolate, dorsolateral folds are absent, tympanic membrane is absent but the tympanic annulus is evident, cranial crests are absent, discs on fingers just slightly expanded, heel is lacking enlarged tubercles, inner edge of tarsus is bearing a long fold, Toe V is slightly longer than Toe III and the iris coloration is bronze with fine black reticulations. The males have a large subgular vocal sac that extends onto the chest and vocal slits but lack nuptial pads. The unique advertisement call consists of long duration series of periodically repeated clicks: “tik”. Molecular analyses place the new species in the recently resurrected P. orestes group, as the sister species of the assemblage that contains P. bambu, P. mazar, P. simonbolivari and an undescribed species. © 2018 Székely et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.Peer reviewe

Evaluación de la función endotelial por medición de la íntima media arterial, pcr ultrasensible y vasodilatación mediada por flujo en mujeres ecuatorianas con hipotiroidismo subclínico

Introducción: a nivel mundial ha aumentado el diagnóstico del hipotiroidismo subclínico. Se conoce que la hipofunción de las hormonas tiroideas trastorna el metabolismo de los lípidos a través la disminución cuantitativa de los receptores de las lipoproteínas de baja densidad. Sin embargo, la asociación entre el hipotiroidismo subclínico y la disfunción endotelial no ha sido determinada con exactitud. Objetivo: determinar la relación entre los niveles de hormona estimulante de la tiroides (TSH) y la función endotelial. Materiales y métodos: estudio observacional, transversal en pacientes con diagnóstico de hipotiroidismo subclínico, realizado mediante dos determinaciones de TSH entre 4 y 10 mUI/L y tiroxina libre (FT4) entre 0.7 y 1.9 ng/dl. La función endotelial se estableció mediante la medición del grosor de la capa íntima-media de la arteria braquial, la vasodilatación mediada por flujo en ecografía Doppler y los niveles de proteína C reactiva ultrasensible (PCR). Se utilizó test de correlación de Pearson para establecer relación entre los niveles de TSH y PCR. Resultados: se incluyeron 16 pacientes de sexo femenino con hipotiroidismo subclínico, con una media de edad de 49 años, en quienes no se encontró correlación significativa entre los niveles de TSH y PCR ultrasensible (p=0.43). En relación a los niveles de TSH y la respuesta vasodilatadora la diferencia no fue estadísticamente significativa (p= 0.96), al igual que la relación entre PCR ultrasensible y vasodilatación que no fue significativa (p= 0,79). Conclusiones: no se encontró correlación entre los niveles de TSH y las alteraciones de la función endotelial. Es recomendable realizar estudios longitudinales en los que se pueda recolectar información que permita establecer si existe o no asociación entre éstas variables

Molecular approaches to malaria and babesiosis diagnosis.

The development of additional methods for detecting and identifying Babesia and Plasmodium infections may be useful in disease monitoring, management and control efforts. The preliminary evaluate synthetic peptide-based serodiagnosis, a hydrophilic sequence (DDESEFDKEK) was selected from the published BabR gene of B. bovis. Immunization of rabbits and cattle with the hemocyanin-conjugated peptide elicited antibody responses that specifically detected both P. falciparum and B. bovis antigens by immunofluorescence and Western blots. Using a dot-ELISA with this peptide, antisera from immunized and naturally-infected cattle, and immunized rodents, were specifically detected. Reactivity was weak and correlated with peptide immunization or infection. DNA-based detection using repetitive DNA was species-specific in dot-blot formats for B. bovis DNA, and in both dot-blot and in situ formats for P. falciparum; a streamlined enzyme-linked synthetic DNA assay for P. falciparum detected 30 parasites/mm3 from patient blood using either colorimetric (2-15 h color development) or chemiluminescent detection (0.5-6-min exposures). Serodiagnostic and DNA hybridization methods may be complementary in the respective detection of both chronic and acute infections. However, recent improvements in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) make feasible a more sensitive and uniform approach to the diagnosis of these and other infectious disease complexes, with appropriate primers and processing methods. An analysis of ribosomal DNA genes of Plasmodium and Toxoplasma identified Apicomplexa-conserved sequence regions. Specific and distinctive PCR profiles were obtained for primers spanning the internal transcribed spacer locus for each of several Plasmodium and Babesia species

Kinematics of Galactic Centre clouds shaped by shear-seeded solenoidal turbulence

The Central Molecular Zone (CMZ; the central ~ 500 pc of the Galaxy) is a kinematically unusual environment relative to the Galactic disc, with high velocity dispersions and a steep size-linewidth relation of the molecular clouds. In addition, the CMZ region has a significantly lower star formation rate (SFR) than expected by its large amount of dense gas. An important factor in explaining the low SFR is the turbulent state of the star-forming gas, which seems to be dominated by rotational modes. However, the turbulence driving mechanism remains unclear. In this work, we investigate how the Galactic gravitational potential affects the turbulence in CMZ clouds. We focus on the CMZ cloud G0.253+0.016 (`the Brick'), which is very quiescent and unlikely to be kinematically dominated by stellar feedback. We demonstrate that several kinematic properties of the Brick arise naturally in a cloud-scale hydrodynamics simulation that takes into account the Galactic gravitational potential. These properties include the line-of-sight velocity distribution, the steepened size-linewidth relation, and the predominantly solenoidal nature of the turbulence. Within the simulation, these properties result from the Galactic shear in combination with the cloud's gravitational collapse. This is a strong indication that the Galactic gravitational potential plays a crucial role in shaping the CMZ gas kinematics, and is a major contributor to suppressing the SFR by inducing predominantly solenoidal turbulent modes.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figures; accepted to MNRAS (July 24th 2023